Hit play Stereophonic is officially extending! The play announced yesterday that they will stay in the West End until 22nd Novemeber 2025. This means you have an additional 2 months to catch this play following its original closing date.
The play is currently playing at The Duke of York’s Theatre and opened in May this year. Stereophonic recieved rave reviews when it opened. What’s more, it has a lot of Tony Awards under it’s belt. In fact, it is the most Tony Award nominated play of all time! Out of it’s record breaking 13 nominations, it won 5 of them.
The shows, original cast members star in the West End transfer. That inculdes Eli Gelb as Grover, Andrew R Butler as Charlie, and Chris Stack as Simon. Newcomers Zachary Hart as Reg, Lucy Karczewski as Diana, Jack Riddiford as Peter and Nia Towle as Holly joined these exisiting cast members. The understudies are Sam Denia, Rima Georges, Lucy Gray and Steve Shirley.
Stereophonic follows a band in a 70’s recording studio. This play is gripping audiences with its dramatic 3 act style. It follows a rock band through the process of recording their latest album. It shows their changing dynamics, relationships and professional tensions which could potentially lead the group to breaking up. However, this album could also catapult them into superstardom.
Although it is a play, Stereophonic features songs throughout which is written by a real life rock band memeber. Will Butler is in the indie-rock group Arade Fire so understands the pressure artists recording studio albums are under.
The young performers, Edie McCaig and Emilia Shefford will join existing performers Suki Hillier and Mia Rogers in the role of Matilda.
Completing the new Matilda Cast additions are Sid Boyle, Ava Evangelista and Freya Fulford. As well as John Johnson, Theo Kamande, Kanaho Kurihara, Albie Lambert, Kennedy-May Mcleary, Savannah McDowell and Mason Mingle. Lastly Lola Smith, Huxley Syers, Orla Vellacott and Jihyun Yoon are also joining the cast.
The rest of the performers who make up the current adult company are staying on alongside some of the young performers. You can read more about them here.
Matilda will soon be the 10th Longest Running West End Production and is still extremely popular with us here at LSBO. It’s the musical adaptation of the beloved Roald Dahl children’s book Matilda. It is about an extremely clever girl with extraordinary powers as she stands up for herself and others to ovecome adversoty which resonates with all ages. The music is by comedian Tim Michin and is produced in colaberation with the royal Shakespeare company.
Many London Shows have officially opened over the last month. What’s more, shpw new and old have even released their production images too. We have the run down of all the new shows and also the West End’s latest production images.
Evita is the most groundbreaking of the New London Shows that are currently on. Jamie Lloyd’s new show sparked controversy online with his directorial choices. Ultimately however, it has received 5-star reviews across the board.
Evita tells the story of Argentina’s first lady Eva Peron. It is her rags-to-riches story of becoming a symbol for the common people. Written by Andrew Lloyd Webber (The Phantom of the Opera), director Jamie Lloyd is reimagining this production like he did with the multi-award-winning revival of Sunset Boulevard. Hollywood star Rachel Zegler plays the leading role to packed-out audiences at The London Palladium every night. She also performs to the people of London on the street below. It has been estimated that an additional 600 people fill the streets to catch a glimpse of Zegler and one of the most famous songs in the show.
Lastly, this is one of two New London Shows which feature celebrities this summer. You can see what all the fuss is about yourself by booking tickets for Evita at The London Palladium until 6th September 2025.
Stars Rachel Zegler and Diego Andres Rodriguez as Che. James Olivas (American Idiot) plays Juan Perón, with Aaron Lee Lambert (Hamilton) as Agustín Magaldi and Bella Brown (Hadestown) as The Mistress/Alternate Eva.
The play takes place over a wedding on a blisteringly hot summer’s day. As the family gathers to welcome a newcomer into their midst, the vodka flows. Dances are shared, passions boil over and the limits of love and loyalty are tested. Not to mention, the secrets that may be spilled.
The reviews have been glowing for this transfer with 4 and 5 stars across the board!
The new production images of this hot West End transfer can be seen below.
All reprising their roles from the successful run at The National Theatre are Lucy Black (The Durrells, ITV) as Hazel, Sinéad Matthews (Hullraisers, Channel 4) as Sylvia, Philip Whitchurch (Boys from the Blackstuff) as Uncle Pete, and Alan Williams (Chernobyl, Sky) as Tony.
Joining them for the new London Shows West End run is Dorothy Atkinson (Ludwig, BBC) as Aunty Carol, Adrian Bower (Gangs of London, Sky) as John, Julian Kostov (The White Lotus, HBO) as Marek, Aisling Loftus (Sherwood, BBC) as Maggie, and Ruby Thompson (Aftersun, Mubi) as Leanne.
Sarah, will be played by Lillie Babb, Elodie Blomfield and Cadence Williams. Lastly, the Understudies are Tony Bell, Rachel Marwood and Lee Ruff.
Tina shocked the West End earlier this year by announcing their closure this September. It is the longest-running show to ever play at The Aldywch Theatre. That being said, Tina is going out with a bang! They’ve got on board pop star Fleur East on board to perform the leading role that is the iconic, Tina Turner.
The musical features all Tina Turner songs and is a biopic of the superstar’s life and her rise to fame. The legend herself gave this quote when asked about her feelings on the musical that shares her life story:
“It’s really important to me to have the chance to share my full story. This musical is not about my stardom. It is about the journey I took to get there. Each night I want audiences to take away from the theatre that you can turn poison into medicine.”
Fleur East is sharing the role this summer with long-standing lead for this show, Karis Anderson. Head to the theatre’s website for more details of East’s performance dates.
Luke Brady plays the titular role of Hercules. He is joined by Mae Ann Jordan as Meg. Jordan is making her West End debut after originating the role in Hamburg.
The iconic Muses are Candace Furbert as Thalia, Sharlene Hector as Clio, Brianna Ogunbawo as Melpomene, Malinda Parris as Callipe, and Robyn Rose-Li as Terpsichore. This is as well as Kamilla Fernades as Standby Muse.
The cast also includes Trevor Dion Nicholas as Phil, Stephen Carlile as Hades, Craig Sullivan as Bob and Lee Zarrett as Charles.
Completing the cast are Rhianne Alleyne, Lana Antoniou, Daisy Barnett, Felipe Bejarano, Sarah Benbelaid, Joel Benjamin, Jack Butcher, Nicole Carlisle, Francessca Daniella-Baker, and Jemal Felix. In addition the cast includes Marie Finlayson, Ryesha Higgs, Cruz-Troy Hunter, Travis Kerry, Stefan Lagoulis, Jason Leigh Winter, Jordan Livesey, Harriet Millier, Ellie Mitchell, Saffi Needham, Ingrid Olivia, Matt Overfield, Patrick Robinson, Ope Sowande and Rhys West.
A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong cast is officially announced! Comedy Theatre makers Mischief Theatre announced it earlier this week.
The show is the latest creation by the company that already has two hit shows on the West End. Those shows are A Comedy About Spies and The Play That Goes Wrong. In fact, this new production follows the same amateur dramatic society featured in The Play That Goes Wrong. As expected, the Christmas Carol Goes Wrong Cast features members of the original Mischief Theatre Team. It opens at Apollo Theatre on 6 December 2025 until 25th January 2026.
Original Mischief Theatre makers, Greg Tannahill, Nancy Zamit, Henry Lewis, Johnathon Sayer and Chris Leask are starring in the cast. Lewis and Sayer are also the writers on this play alongside Henry Shields. Leask plays Trevor with Lewis as Robert, Sayer as Dennis and Tannahill as Jonathan. Mischief Theatre Co-founder Nancy Zamitt plays Annie and the role is shared with Dumile Sibanda.
The remaining A Christmas Carol Gone Wrong cast includes Matt Cavendish as Max, Daniel Fraser as Chris and Sasha Frost as Sandra. The understudies are Alex Bird, Will Bishop, Siobhan Cha Cha, Colm Gleeson and Ashley Tucker.
The comedy play will see the Cornley Amatuer Dramatics society battle miscommunication, delays to their set, actors missing in action and a growing feud over who will play the lead. It’s sure to be a disastrous take on the much-loved classic Christmas story of Ebenezer Scrooge. Will Cornley finally change their ways, or will their misfortunes wreak havoc yet again?
Book your tickets to see the A Christmas Carol Gone Wrong cast in action!
Johannes Radebe is set to make his West End debut next year in the hit musical Kinky Boots! He plays the iconic lead role of Lola in the production which is currently on tour.
Born and raised in Zamdela Sasolburg, Johannes Radebe started dancing at just 7 years old! By 21, Johannes left South Africa to work on cruise ships. Shortly after, Dancing With The Stars invited him to join the debut season of their international hit show in South Africa. Following this, Strictly Come Dancing head-hunted him which saw his dance career flourish and him becoming a breakout star.
Johannes Radebe gave this statement followng this announcement of Kinky Boots strutting into the London Coliseum:
I left my township in Zamdela at the age of 21 to dance in the ensemble on a cruise ship. Every night we did ABBA. That was my dream come true. Never then, nor since then, was it in my wildest dreams that I would have the opportunity to star in a musical in London’s West End. And not just any musical – my favourite musical. Kinky Boots. My involvement in Kinky Boots has been six years in the making, and Lola was the only role I ever wanted to play… I’ll be walking in the footsteps of theatre and entertainment giants who have performed on that stage, and I’ll be doing it in my own sequined pair of red leather Kinky Boots. I cannot wait! Thank you and see you next year.
Kinky Boots is based on a true story and also, a movie of the same name released in 2005. It follows Charlie Price who inherits his family’s failing shoe factory, saving the company – as well as his love life – feels like an impossibly tall order. Until, that is, he meets Lola (played by Johannes Radebe) the sparkling, larger-than-life drag queen with the unlikeliest of answers. In creating specialist shoes for Drag Artistes. The show is a glorious celebration of friendship and individuality.
Pop Star Cyndri Lauper wrote the original songs for this award-winning musical. In response to the news about the show returning to the West End, she said the folowing:
I’m so thrilled that Kinky Boots is returning home to London! When audiences leave the show, they feel happy and uplifted, and that’s something the world could really use right now. It’s so wonderful that this musical keeps bringing joy and acceptance to people around the world.
Catch Johaness Radebe in Kinky Boots stunning return to the West End at The London Coliseum from 3rd March 2026 – 11th July 2026. Tickets go on sale 15th July 2025.
Booking a show at one of the Oldest West End Theatres is a great way to tick off multiple things on your trip to London. See a great show? Tick. Visit a historic venue? Tick. Take in beautiful classic theatrical architecture? Tick! London is a city with rich history and culture, so embrace it all. Here’s the run down on the oldest theatre venues and the current productions playing there.
There has been a theatre on this site since 1663. It was built during the Restoration period under the commission of King Charles II. This venue takes the top spot in our list of the oldest West End theatres. Many famous faces have trod the boards here from Nell Gwyn in the 1600s to Rex Harrison in the 1960s and most recently Tom Hiddleston in Much Ado About Nothing.
The venue first started operating under its current name after its rebuild in 1678. The building as you see it today is the 3rd physical building on this site of the same name. The current design is by Benjamin Wyatt from the reconstruction in 1812. Although restoration work took place in 2013, most of the features are as they would have been when they reopened their doors more than 200 years ago.
The current production at the oldest theatre in the West End is Hercules. It is a brand new production at this historic venue. In fact it officially opened just 2 weeks ago! It is an adaptation of the classic Disney musical about the Greek demigod Hercules.
The Theatre Royal Haymarket is the 2nd place for the oldest west end theatres. Although the venue was built in 1720, the theatre as you see it today is from a redesign in 1821. Back in the 1720’s you couldn’t legally sell tickets to put on a show without the permission of the Royal Family which hadn’t been granted to this venue. As such, it was often closed by the Constabulary. The theatre was shut down in 1737 due to its highly popular yet political plays. This was due to new censorship laws that came into place. It reopened 8 years later. It wasn’t until 1754 that the venue finally received The Royal Patent which allowed it to legally put on shows.
Interestingly, The Theatre Royal Haymarket only received the royal patent due to a prank gone wrong! The owner Samuel Foote was a close friend of the Duke Of York. On a hunting trip the Royal Hunting Party gave Foote a known difficult horse. Unfortunately, the horse threw Foote off the saddle which resulted in a nasty leg break and a following amputation! Foote used this to his advantage to secure the Royal Patent for the venue which is still a royal venue to this day.
The theatre was a favorite of Queen Victoria however, the building as you see it today is mainly from its renovation in 1930. They’ve built a reputation for having stars on stage. Stars such as Derek Jacobi, Maggie Smith and Dame Judi Dench to name a few.
Currently, the venue is showing Till The Stars Come Down until 27th September 2025. The Production after that welcomes other famous face to tread the boards. From 26th October, Othello will play at this historic venue with celebrities David Harewood, Toby Jones and Caitlin FitzGerald following in many a famous footstep.
Coming in at 3rd place of London’s oldest West End Theatres is The Adelphi Theatre. It was founded in 1806 by a merchant and his daughter Jane Scott and was originally named Sans Pareil.
Jane Scott retired in 1819 after writing more than 50 stage pieces and even translations! Following this, the theatre reopened under its current name. The venue was renowned during this period for it’s melodramas before turning to more serious dramas when it changed hands in 1844.
Throughout the late 1800s renovations took place which included knocking through the two buildings adjacent to it. This is how the venue now has the capacity to seat 1500 people as it does today.
Althought this old theatre is rich with history, the venue as you see it today is in an art deco style from it’s redesign in 1930.
The Vaudeville Theatre is the 4th out of our oldest West End theatres. It opened in 1870, mainly showing Vaudeville shows, hence its name. Interestingly, in it’s inaugural year, the great Henry Irving had his first success in a play that held 300 performances at the theatre!
The Vaudeville Theatre was very successful for its first 50 years, particularly and was the first theatre to surpass 1000 performances of a production of Our Boys. Even local bus drivers called the Theatre Our Boys instead of its name because it was so well known for this.
As the venue struggled for backstage space in its original construction and so a redesign in 1925 tackled this by reducing the audience capacity to 690. However, despite this redesign the ceiling still has the beautiful fan design from 1870.
This historical theatre is in fact, celebrating herstory with the hit musical Six. The show has reigned at The Vaudeville Theatre for 4 years.
The Savoy Theatre is the 5th and final one on our list of the Oldest West End Theatres. It was opened in 1881 with the intention of putting on Gilbert and Sullivan Shows. They used proceeds of the successful shows to fund the famous adjacent Savoy hotel which opened just 5 years after the theatre.
The Savoy Theatre made history when it opened as it was the first ever building to be entirely lit by electricity.
Although it is one of the newer venues, The Savoy is striking when you step inside. In 1929, management closed the venue to redecorate in an art deco style. The Theatre is such a good example of art deco design due to a fire that broke out in 1990. The fire left only the stage and backstage untouched. Due to the building’s history and being registered as a listed building, the management had to restore the building as it was.
Currently, the theatre is dark but just this week, Burlesque the musical will open at this beautiful and historic theatre.
The festive favourite Elf The Musical is returning to the London this Christmas! This time the show will run at the West End’s Aldwych Theatre.
The Aldwych Theatre is the current home to TINA: The Tina Turner Musical. However TINA is set to close on 13 September 2025 after a very successful 7 years in the West End.
Based on the much loved film of the same name starring Will Ferrell Elf The Musical premiered in the West End back in 2015. The smash hit comedy musical has played many a sold-out season at the West End’s Dominion Theatre since 2022 and this year finds a new home.
Elf The Musical tells the story of Buddy, a young child who accidentally hops into Santa’s sack and finds himself in the North Pole. He is then raised as an elf but never feels like he quite fits in. After finding out the truth Buddy heads to New York in search of his birth father and chaos ensues.
Elf features a book by Tony Award-winners Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone). With songs by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer). This production will once again be directed by Philip Wm. McKinley, with choreography by Liam Steel. Casting for the show will be announced in due course.
Elf The Musical will run at the Aldwych Theatre in London for a strictly limited 10 week season from 28 October 2025 to 3 January 2026.
Keep up to date with all things London Theatre with LSBO News. Here you can find everything you need to know about the West End including new shows and casting updates. In addition you can book your London theatre tickets here on the LSBO website.
Take a look at these brand new production photos of Rachel Zegler and the cast of Evita!
Evita opened at the London Palladium on 14 June 2025. The musical is running for a strictly limited season and is set to close on 6 September 2025.
The new production is directed by Jamie Lloyd. Evita stars Golden Globe winner Rachel Zegler (Snow White, West Side Story) as Eva Perón. Also starring alongside her in his West End debut is Diego Andres Rodriguez as Che. They are then joined by James Olivas (American Idiot) as Juan Perón. Furthermore the cast includes Aaron Lee Lambert (Hamilton) as Agustín Magaldi with Bella Brown (Hadestown) as The Mistress / Alternate Eva.
In addition, the Evita cast is completed by Carl Au, Gabriela Benedetti, Shakara Brown, Damian Buhagiar, Kyeirah D’Marni, Sally Frith, DeAngelo Jones, Lucas Koch, Natasha Leaver, Michael Lin, Dianté Lodge, Louis Mackrodt, Mireia Mambo, Mia Mullarkey, Perry O’Dea, Alysha Sontae, Monica Swayne, Jon Tsouras and Harrison Wilde, with Myla Carmen, Barney Hudson, Nathan Louis-Fernand, Kirsty Anne Shaw, Ricardo Spriggs and Regan Bailey Walker as Swings. Auora Breslin, Lois Haidar, Siena Merilind-Wu and Ffion Rosalie Williams share the role of The Child.
Below are the incredible new production photos of Evita – photographs by Marc Brenner.
Keep up to date with all the latest theatre news and check out more production shots like these with LSBO News.
London Pride Parade 2025 is taking place on 5th July 2025. Whether you’re coming down to the West End to take part in the parade or supporting as a spectator, why not finish the day off with one of the many London shows which also represent the LGBTQIA+ community!
What is London Pride?
The event is also officially known as Pride in London. It is an annual event which initially started as a protest to fight for the rights for the LGBTQIA+ community. As the years have passed, the event has become both a rally for the community but also a celebration of it! Pride in London is now a non-for-profit organisation run by a volunteer-powered LGBTQ+ force which aims to “unite our voices, amplify our diversity and protest against inequality.” This year’s route runs from Hyde Park Corner to Whitehall. There are also many stages along the route and in the West End which will have performances from music acts and speeches from activists throughout the day.
Reviewed by many as “a celebration of queer culture” and “a camp musical parody of Titanic”, Titanique is a really fun choice of musical to celebrate London Pride. Not only is it a beloved, Olivier-award-winning musical but it also plays on Sundays! That means you don’t have to cut your pride celebrations short and can catch a matinee or evening performance the day after the big event.
The musical features all Celine Dion music and is written by RuPaul’s Drag Race casting director, Tye Blue. It runs for an hour and a half with no interval and is part improvised. It uses many pop culture references which has the audiences loving every moment.
Titanique have just welcomed a new cast including Luke Bayer, Hiba Elchikhe, Richard Carson, Carl Mullaney and Tosh Wanogho-Maud. They joined existing cast members, Lauren Drew who plays diva, Celine Dion. Darren Bennett and Charlotte Wakefield also remain in the cast.
This musical celebrates the queer community throughout history. It also is based on a book by Christopher Isherwood and his real experiences as a gay man around cabaret clubs in Germany at the rise of the Nazi party.
The musical is hugely popular in London and it’s also very close to the end of the London Pride parade on Embankment. With hit music written by Kander and Ebb, the musical tells the story of cabaret artists in a club in Berlin in the late 1920’s. This particular revival won 7 Olivier Awards, including Best Musical Revival when it opened.
The current cast of Cabaret is lead by Bridgerton star Hannah Dodd as Sally Bowles and TikTok sensation Rob Madge as the MC. They will lead the show until 20th September. You can read more details of the current cast here.
The Devil Wears Prada has music by the iconic, Elton John. It is based on the hit film starring Meryll Streep. It is about a girl who secures a job as a PA to the editor of a high end fashion magazine. The show follows her journey to survive and thrive in the cut throat fashion industry.
This fun movie musical has choreography full of catwalks and vogueing. It stars Vanessa Williams as the “devil”, Miranda Priestly. She will be appearing in this high fashion musical until October this year. Not only are the creative team on this show members of the LGBTQ+ community, but the storylines celebrate that community also. Particularly in a touching number sung by Matt Henry as Nigel in the shows 2nd act.
This musical is celebrating all Queens this London Pride! Six the Musical is in a handy location for all pride-goers this year as it is on the Strand, close to the Trafalgar Stage and the Victoria Garden Stage. It also plays twice on both Saturdays and Sundays. Written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, this fringe show has turn into a global sensation!
Six The Musical tells the story of the women who married the infamous King Henry VIII. It gives a voice to the women whose voices have been lost in history. The 90 minute musical rewrites herstory! Each queen is a nod to an iconic pop star and follows a concert format.
Your current Queens in Six the Musical are Jaz Robinson as Catherine of Aragon Thao Therese Nguyen as Anne Boleyn, Hana Stewart as Jane Seymour, Dionne Ward-Anderson as Anna of Cleves, Caitlin De Kuyper as Katherine Howard and Amelia Kinu Muus as Catherine Parr.
London Pride is also a celebration of love and this musical does that! The movie famously has the quote “The greatest thing you can ever learn is to love and to be loved in return.” The story certainly embraces this ideal.
Based on the hit Baz Luhrmann film, this musical follows a doomed love story between a writer and a worker at the Moulin Rouge. The characters in Moulin Rouge have their own found family there and it also celebrates LGBTQ+ characters in the story’s subplots. It is a jukebox musical so it features some of your favourite pop songs. Not only that, it is a feast for the eyes! The attention to detail in the production transforms The Piccadilly Theatre into the Moulin Rouge in Paris.
The current cast includes Natalie Kassanga as Satine, Dom Simpson as Christian, Craig Ryder as Harold Zidler. Also there’s Dex Lee as Toulouse-Lautrec, Ben Richards as The Duke, Ivan De Freitas as Santiago and Charlotte Gooch as Nini Hannah. Lastly, Jay-Allan as Arabia Matteo Johnson as Baby Doll Bernadette Bangura as La Chocolat.
Celebrate this year’s London Pride in the pride lands! This is the second musical you can catch this pride weekend written by pop legend Elton John.
The Lion King is based on the hit Disney animated movie. It follows the story of lion cub, Simba in his journey to reclaim his throne. It uses beautiful puppetry to bring the pridelands and its animals to life. The show is now in its 26th year in the West End. Also, it plays on a Sunday afternoon so is another great choice if you don’t want to cut your pride celebration short on Saturday.
Leading the pack of this production are George Asprey as Scar, Shaun Escoffery as Mufasa, Thenjiwe Nofemele as Rafiki, Gary Jordan as Zazu, Alan McHale as Timon, Mark Roper as Pumbaa, Owen Chaponda as Simba and Merryl Ansah as Nala.
There are only 2 weeks left to catch My Master Builder starring Ewan McGregor. The show is playing for a limited run at The Wyndhams Theatre and must close on 12th July.
This new take on the classic Henrik Ibsen play is Ewan McGregor’s return to the West End after 17 years. My Master Builder is a play which takes place over the course of an evening. Ewan McGregor plays Henry Solness whose wife, Elena (played by Kate Fleetwood) throws a party for him to celebrate his new architectrual triumph. Elena extends the invite to Mathilde, played by Elizabeth Debicki. Mathilde is an old student of Henry’s with whom he shared an intimate connection with. The evening unfolds as well as the characters lives along the way.
The cast of My Master Builder also includes David Ajala as Ragnar and Mirren Mack as Kaia. Lastly, completing the cast are Kai Antoine, Richard Ede, Elizabeth Healy and Jane Mahady as the understudies.
This adaptation has been rewritten by Lila Raicek. Michael Grandage is the director for this production. The remaining creative team are Richard Kent (Set and Costume Designer), Paule Constable (Lighting Designer) and Adam Cork (Sound Designer and Composer). This is as well as Bethany West (Associate Director), Kate West (Production Manager), Lisa Aitken (Costume Supervisor), and Kate Margretts (Prop Supervisor).
Critics felt that this production of My Master Builder is “robustly elegant”. They also gave lots of praise to power-house Kate Fleetwood for her “magnetic” performance as Elena Solness.
There are only 2 weeks left for you to catch Ewan McGregor’s return to the West End, so book your cheap tickets to My Master Builder now before it’s too late!
